Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Watch the Skies
While this film bears little resemblance to John W. Campbell's excellent short story, on which it is based, it stands on its own merits, and certainly does not suffer when compared to John Carpenter's remake.The dialogue gives the film its drive and pacing, as it is the way real people speak. We talk at the same time, and in this, it reminds me of His Girl Friday, another Hawks production. Also, the actors gave some of the best performances of their careers. Kenneth Tobey was excellent as Capt. Hendry. Robert Cornthwaite as Dr. Carrington, great. (Can you spot him in War of the Worlds?) Robert Nichols and Douglas Spencer were superb here, but wooden in This Island Earth. The film's protagonist, James Arness, had no dialogue, but figured prominently. He got much more to say and do in another of the genre's best films, Them! All in all, this is my favorite sci-fi movie of all time, because of the fast-paced dialogue, and the fact that it is dated in only one way, and I won't give that away. It is, however, a line uttered by Scotty as they fly over the station. See if you can guess it. This, even fifty years later and minus one reason to watch the skies - the Soviet Union. Enjoy it!
Rating: - Who Goes There?
A spaceship crash-lands in the Arctic, and a nearby scientific research station finds itself threatened by a creature from beyond the stars. Sci-fi/horror flicks of the 1950s fall into two broad categories: so bad, it's good, and very good, indeed. This film is near the top of the second group. It clearly shows the influence of producer Howard Hawks. The lean script, the snappy dialogue, and the emphasis on professionalism blend well with chilling suspense. The bare bones creature-feature story may seem trite by current standards, but not in the context of 1951. Stalwart monster-movie veteran Kenneth Tobey is the only truly familiar face in the cast. What the cast lacks in marquee value, it compensates for in deft performances. The plot quickly unfolds and there is a refreshing absence of subplots. The occasional reference to a sometime romance between Capt. Pat Hendry (Tobey) and Nikki (Margaret Sheridan) barely qualifies, and is mainly for comic relief. There is a stark difference of perspective in the forward-looking thinkers of the science contingent and the pragmatists of the military group. Dr. Carrington and Capt. Hendry vie for control of the space creature, which they believe they have captive. The Thing, however, has plans of its own. The Thing (James Arness) uses human blood from unwilling donors to cultivate progeny in the Arctic station greenhouse. The title character is on camera only a short amount of time. Even so, the lurking, unseen terror of the unknown adds to the delightful sense of raised hackles. It is wonderful what one can do with minimalist special effects, and B&W photography. Collectors of classic sci-fi/horror flicks definitely need this one. ;-)
Rating: - Tense Arctic Melodrama
A true classic sci-fi/horror film, effective for its simplicity and ensemble performance.A strange phenomenon has occurred near an Arctic outpost: a mass of iron that isn't a meteorite has crashed into the ice, causing magnetic anomalies. The Air Force sends Kenneth Tobey to find out what it is. He and the base research team discover a gigantic saucer buried beneath the ice, and inadvertently destroy it in a failed recovery attempt. But they do pull out something - the saucer's occupant. Too bad it isn't dead. And worse still that they don't realize that fact, until it's up and around. It's damn near indestructible, and its food of choice is human blood. This is a drama first, and a science-fiction film second. The performances are stellar, the direction superior. The entire cast click incredibly well together. This is one of the fastest-paced movies you're likely ever to see, and incredibly involving throughout. The exposition and dialogue fly at lightning pace, and the action is sudden, violent, and unpredictable. The script is intelligent and often very witty. The few slow moments in the film serve only to heighten the sometimes unbearable suspense, and provide added chills with the scientific discoveries being made about the hostile alien invader. This is really a flawless film. The special effects are suitable and not overblown. The drama of the human interaction and the survival story take precedence. Incidentally, the colorized version is actually pretty good if you ever get a chance to see it, suffering only during the fiery scenes when the gray tones are left as they are instead of being touched-up for subtleties of shade. Don't miss this one.
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